A Coward's Revenge
by T1NYT4NK
Summary: Set 5 years after HTTYD2 ***Contains spoilers, be careful!*** A certain scum has returned to take back what he felt was rightfully his. Although this time, he will have someone else to his dirty work. Is Berk's chief safe? Rated T for tragic theme. This is my first fanfic, ever! Hope you guys like it.
1. Prologue

**My first shot at any type of fanfic. I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammatical errors! Hope you guys enjoy.**

**I OWN NOTHING**

Prologue

5 years have passed since the ridding of the tainted Bewilderbeast alpha. As far as anyone knew, Drago Bludfist was long gone. As the new chief, Hiccup had successfully reconstructed Berk, with the help of his friends of course. His mother's return to the island had definitely helped lift his spirits and pointed him in the right direction. With all of the ex-Alpha's ice chipped away, it gave way for new buildings and trades to flourish on the island, for both Vikings and dragons alike.

Hiccup had finally found some time to sit in his new home, which he built with his wife, Astrid. As he sat on the edge of his bed, Hiccup gazed outside the giant window which overlooked the village and smiled. The sun was shining at high noon and all of Berk's villagers and dragons were out and about.

"Not to bad, eh, Toothless? I think we all deserve a good days' rest."

The wide-eyed dragon cooed at his rider and joined him at his side. It wasn't but a few moments later, Astrid had come home early from her village duties.

"Milady, what a sight for sore eyes." Hiccup sighed with relief at the early return of his love.

"I tried my damnedest to get home early, once I knew you weren't somewhere in the sky taking care of business." Astrid replied, as she sat on Hiccup's lap.

"I'm glad the island is pretty much finished. I feel like I haven't breathed in nearly 5 years. My father was truly a great man for giving me such a great foundation to start on." Hiccup said.

"You're right, you got off on an easy start," Astrid toyed. "You have done an amazing job. The village would be lost without you and you know it." She pushed Hiccup back on the bed so they were both laying side by side. They smiled at one another and held each other close.

It did not take long for them to lull into deep sleep as Astrid lay on her husband's chest. This whole being chief and fixing everything that needed fixing had taken it's toll on Hiccup, but even so, he always did everything with a smile. Toothless purred as he stood watch while his rider and his mate slept during the bright afternoon.


	2. Chapter 1

**I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 1

Hiccup started awake and noticed his lady was still fast asleep.

"How long have I been asleep?" Hiccup wondered as he scratched his head, "No more cat naps for me. I could get used to them too easily." He thought he'd let Astrid sleep awhile longer.

Toothless let out a low, happy growl as his rider got out of bed. The familiar soft thud and clank of his prosthetic foot filled the house as he walked downstairs into the kitchen with Toothless following closely behind.

"Well it seems the sun hasn't gone down yet, which is a good thing. I still have time to get things done before I take you out on our evening flight, bud." Hiccup said with a smile as he tossed a trout into the gaping mouth of his best friend. Toothless licked his chops in delight.

"I guess I had better go see what the morning report has brought, eh bud?" Toothless grinned as he followed his beloved friend outside into the cool evening air.

Hiccup strolled along, waving and greeting his followers with a smile on the way to Fishlegs' hut. He had entrusted Fishlegs to patrol the island and it's surroundings on a daily basis and record anything out of the ordinary. He enjoyed the task immensely and did it without falter. As he arrived at Fishlegs' hut, Hiccup noticed that his beloved Gronckle, Meatlug, was enjoying some time in the grass outside; a sure sign he has returned from his patrol.

Hiccup knocked twice and let himself in like he always had, "Hey Fishlegs, it's me. Just stopped by to say hello and to hear about your hopefully uneventful morning," Hiccup said as he patted his friend on the back, who was intently doing some paperwork for his chief.

"I hate to say, Hiccup, it was far from uneventful," Fishlegs replied with a frown. This caught Hiccup's attention immeadiately. " Meatlug and I flew out a little further than normal today and had some interesting findings."

Hiccup sat across the table from his comrade, his eyes never leaving his own. "Well, let's hear it then," he said as he studied Fishlegs' air of worry.

"Sir, I do believe I may have caught a sighting of a certain someone..."

"Okay?"

"A certain... Drago Bludfist."

Hiccup's eyes widened in more shock than fear. If Fishlegs was right, then something had to be done.

"How sure are you?" Hiccup asked his friend.

"I would say 98.9% sure."

"That's quite specific."

"I know, sir. I only caught a glimpse of him. His hair, his dragon skin cloak, and his main attribute: a missing arm. Luckily enough he didn't see me. Meatlug and I found cover and watched his where abouts for a few minutes in fear of getting caught. He only had a three other people with him."

"Were you able to tell if they were lackeys or..."

Fishlegs interrupted his chief with purpose. "It was a woman and two children..."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and rubbed the stubble on his chin, deep in thought, "Were you able to get a good look at them? What kind of clothing were they wearing?"

"They seemed poorly dressed. Tattered rags mostly. It looked like they were in a kneeling position with their heads down as Bludfist walked back and forth in front of them. As if he was giving a speech of some sort," Fishlegs replied.

This news made Hiccup worry. He would have to raise security on the island little by little as to not attract attention. A chief protects his own.

"Add two more patrols for the morning and two more for the night. We cannot take any risk of being infiltrated. We need to find out what Drago is up to. Odin only knows what this man has planned, and I don't want to wait until the minute to find out," the chief expressed his concerns, hiding his true worry from his comrade.

"I'll get the word out immediately, Hiccup."

"...and if you would, Fishlegs, please only tell the patrols what they need to be looking for and no one else. Until we find out what's going on I'd like to keep it under wraps. Pick the 4 most reliable and trustworthy."

"Will do, sir!" Fishlegs replied as he gathered his things and ran out the door, leaving his chief at his dining room table to think by himself.

"Well bud, I didn't expect to hear that. We may have to cut our evening flight short so we can get back to Astrid and let her know what's going on," Hiccup said to his best friend, who also had a concerned look on his dark-as-night face.

He and Toothless got up from the table and left Fishlegs' hut, closing the door behind them. Hiccup turned around and peered out into the night sky and let out a huge sigh. What was to become of his newly rebuilt village? Would he be able to protect his people? He looked down at Toothless and stroked his head. It only took Hiccup a few seconds to saddle his dragon and fly high into the now dark sky.


	3. Chapter 2

**I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 2

Drago paced back and forth in front of the unknown family he had kidnapped from another island, as if he was sizing them up. Finally, he stopped in front of the middle-aged woman and pointed at her. She gasped as tears streamed down her face. She would not look him in the eye.

"You, Magatha. You will infiltrate the dragon master's village. I want you to gain their trust and earn your place on Berk." Drago said, with fury in his eyes.

The lady shook in fear as she looked up at the crazed man, "Why!? Why are you doing this! Please, return us to our island that you took us from. I promise to give you everything I own if no harm comes to me and my daughters."

"Hah! You three belong to me now. My men have slain your husband, and I promise, no one will be looking for you." Bludfist replied, with anger in his voice.

"I don't understand," Magatha said, "why us? We are innocent people and know nothing of Berk. We've never had business or quarry with the Vikings on that island."

"That's exactly why I picked you, woman! You will go to Berk, I will keep your daughters with me."

Magatha cried out in protest, but Drago straightened her out quickly as he pushed his pike into the kneeling woman's neck. "Calm down. No harm will come to them as long as you obey me. Once your task is finished, I will retrieve you and bring you and your daughters back to Luktuk."

Defeated, Magatha slumped with her head down. She looked over to her daughters, both of whom had tears streaming down their faces as they watched their mother shrivel with fear.

"What must I do?"

"You will go to Berk with nothing but the clothes on your back. Beg for sanctuary. Tell them you've escaped me, and that you lost your children to my fury. That, for sure, will catch their attention and hearts."

Drago started to pace again.

"Once you have earned their trust and pity, you will strike the heart of the village."

Magatha wriggled as if she was in pain, how could she dare compromise a village of people she had never met? "What do you mean? What am I supposed to do?" The tears kept coming. She was a kind-hearted woman without a mean bone in her body.

"I am sure they will give you a place to stay in. A home of your own, perhaps. Invite the chief's family over for a feast. The dragon master himself, his wife, and his mother. Perhaps even the chief's upper council. The more, the merrier. You will cook the meal, and serve everyone."

Drago pulled a small vial of a smoky-white glowing liquid and dangled it in front of her face.

"Before you serve the chief, you will pour this over his meal and in his drink. It is tasteless and odorless, he will never know." Drago said with a sinister smile on his face.

"What? What does it do?!" Magatha screamed in protest.

"It is a poison I brewed myself. It will slowly take over the chief of Berk. It will weaken him, maybe paralyze him. It may blind him, turn his world upside down... turn his insides out." Drago said with a straight face as he looked directly into Magatha's eyes.

She looked back at him, staring as intently as he was. "Why should I? They have never wronged me!" She remembers the stories of the new chieftain of Berk that have been floating around her village. They were always about how kind and brave he was. How could she fathom hurting someone of such importance? Who was loved and worshipped?

"You can and WILL do this! He will suffer slowly by my hand! Berk and its inhabitants stole my army and my alpha! Now, I will take their alpha! They will bow before me, with no one to save them again." Drago stood straight and held his head up high as his plan played out with success in his head over and over again.

"And if I refuse this disgusting task?"

"It's quite simple, you see. I will have eyes on you at all times. You will never know who or what is watching you. If you falter in any way shape or form, I will destroy your children. Then, I will destroy you." Drago said with a straight face.

"So you're using the love for my children against me? You are despicable!" Magatha yelled as she spat at Drago's feet.

"Oh my, you are a clever girl. I hope you continue to use that brain of yours, lest you slip up."

Drago smiled and turned away. He lifted his one hand up in the air, signaling his men to come out from hiding. Three men appeared from the snow, and separated the mother from her children. They kicked and screamed for their matron, too young to understand what was happening.

Magatha yelled at Drago as he walked away, resisting the man that was pulling her in the opposite direction, "Please don't hurt them! I will do your task. Just please, don't hurt them..."

"Of course. You can trust me," Drago said with a wry smile. He then turned his attention to the man pulling Magatha away and yelled, "Make it look like she had a hard time escaping! Don't bother dropping her on the island either, just somewhere in it's vicinity. I'm sure the chief's patrols will find her, near death!"

The burly man nodded in agreement. The last thing Magatha saw was a huge fist being propelled towards her face. Then, darkness.


	4. Chapter 3

**I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 3

Hiccup woke early to make sure the patrols were on time and active. Once he knew everything was in its rightful place, he met with Astrid and went to his mother's house for breakfast.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" Astrid said with a happy tone. She saw the dark circles underneath her husband's eyes and deeply worried look that wouldn't leave his face. "Are...are you okay? You came home late last night and it seems like you didn't get much sleep."

Hiccup let out a sigh as they approached Valka's home. He stopped Astrid before they could go inside.

"No, there are some things I'd like you tell you and mom this morning. Something Fishlegs saw on his morning patrol yesterday." Hiccup said, not looking at his wife.

Astrid was taken aback. She hasn't heard anything like this in 5 years. She stared as her husband opened the door to his mother's house.

"Hiccup! Astrid! Such a beautiful morning, isn't it, my children? I am so happy to see both of you." Valka hugged her son and daughter-in-law. It wasn't often they got to have breakfast together. She had no idea of the news Hiccup had brought.

"Hey, mom," Hiccup sounded less than enthused, "Thank you for having us. I'm sorry but we need to talk."

Valka already had the table set. She brought plates for them to eat off of, and sat down with her own, listening intently. Her motherly gaze never left Hiccup's distraught face.

"Mom..."

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" Valka was worried now.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other and he continued, "Fishlegs had some interesting findings on his patrol yesterday."

"Is that right?" questioned Valka.

"He saw Drago, mom"

Valka dropped her bread after hearing his name and her mood quickly turned to anger.

"He's sure of it, son?"

"Yes. He said there was a woman and two children with him, all three of them dressed in rags on their knees as if they were bowing before him. I don't know exactly, but something hasn't been right in the air now for a couple of days." Hiccup said with a stern voice.

"Did he notice any men? Is he building another army?" asked Valka.

"Fishlegs said he didn't notice anyone else there, but that doesn't mean anything at this point."

Astrid stared in shock as her husband told them of the grave news. Just before she could say anything to Hiccup or Valka, she was interrupted as two tall, lanky figures burst through the door unannounced.

Hiccup turned around with a frown on his face, only to see Ruffnut and Tuffnut trying to repair his mother's door.

"What's the meaning of this? Don't you guys know how to knock?" Hiccup yelled.

"Sorry chief, my idiot brother doesn't have any manners..." Ruffnut defended herself. Before her brother could even protest, she continued, "I'm sorry to bother you guys and all, but Hiccup, you may want to come outside and see what the morning patrol has brought in."

Hiccup, Astrid, and Valka all looked at each other for a second and left their breakfast untouched to see what was outside. They were all taken aback.

The mighty Hookfang, who belonged to Snotlout, carried another passenger as it landed in front of Valka's home. Snotlout jumped off first, then helped his passenger off second. As the passenger slid down the dragon, Meatlug had also landed carrying his rider. Hiccup noticed that the passenger was a woman, wearing tattered rags and beaten within an inch of her life.

"Astrid! Please, can you summon Gothi? It looks like this woman needs help." Hiccup watched his wife nod in agreement and turn in the other direction. He then turned his attention to the battered woman. It was Magatha.

His voice calmer now, "Hey... miss?" Hiccup picked her up lightly and brought her into his mother's house, sitting her down in a chair. "Can you speak? Who did this to you?"

Hiccup's heart was pure, Magatha could see this. She could not see an ounce of hate in this man, no matter how hard she looked. Even then, it was hard for her to even look Hiccup in the eye, knowing that she was supposed to murder him. Could she go through with this? Could she kill an innocent man to save her kin?

She had to.


	5. Chapter 4

**I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 4

Once everything had calmed down, Magatha was finally able to speak. She was torn, tired, beaten, and hungry. It had been an entire week since Drago had "left her for dead." It almost worked.

"It... it was Drago. Drago Bludfist. He did this to me." Her words came out shakily and she stuttered. "Chieftain of Berk... he took my children. They're dead. He made me watch. I... I am at a loss without me little ones... they're all I had in this world," she lied.

Hiccup put a hand on Magatha's shoulder, giving his sincerest apologies to the woman. It was working, he and the others believed every word.

"I escaped from his camp that was north of here. After he slaughtered my two daughters, I knew there was no way he would spare my life. I broke through his chains and ran. When I couldn't run, I swam until I couldn't swim anymore. This is where I ended up. Before I escaped, Drago told me that if I tried to go back to my home island, he would destroy everything in its existance. I don't know where to go, or what to do," tears streamed from Magatha's face, partly because she was half speaking the truth.

Hiccup hesitated. Fishlegs had been right all along. He partly took the blame for the loss of this mysterious woman's children. Maybe if he would have gone looking for them when he had first heard the report, he could have saved them all.

"Please, stay here. We can give you a safe place to live. You never told me your name?" Hiccup wondered about her.

"It's Magatha. Magatha Hjorn. Thank you, Chief of Berk. All the stories I have heard about the kind and patient savior are all true."

Toothless was watching with intensity the entire time. He came up behind his rider, and startled the newcomer. The curious dragon smelled something unforgettable on the woman. Bludfist's scent. Toothless could never forget it. He involuntarily growled at the woman because of this.

"Toothless! Easy boy, it's okay. She is here to stay. Can you help keep a good eye on her for me, buddy?" Hiccup tried to explain to his best friend that she meant no harm, but Toothless didn't see it that way. He backed away, never taking his narrowed eyes off of her. He knew something wasn't right.

"I apologize, he's not usually like this."

"It's quite alright, I am forever in your debt, chief." Magatha was worried that the chief's dragon had caught on to her. Could he smell her lies? Her fear?

"Please, call me Hiccup."

Astrid and Valka looked on, as well as Hiccup's council, as he placed his loving hand on the tattered woman's shoulder once again, assuring her that things would be okay from now on. One by one, they filed out of Valka's home. Ruff and Tuff rode off to get a small cottage ready for Magatha. Gothi had finished bandaging her wounds and left. Fishlegs and Snotlout went to finish their reports and possibly another go around the island for any possible threats. Valka had fixed Magatha a plate, which she ate hastily. Her skin pekid and her body weak, she was grateful for the meal.

The three talked for a few hours before Ruffnut and Tuffnut returned with news that the cottage was ready. Astrid offered to fly her home on her Nadder, Stormfly.

"Please, make yourself at home," Astrid said, "let anyone of us know if you need anything. We are right down the hill, over there. There should be food in the pantry and the well for this part of the island is just a few steps away," she pointed behind her.

Magatha looked in awe at the amenities she'd been given. She didn't think it would be that easy. Her heart ached for these people she had been tasked with hurting. They had helped her without the blink of an eye.

She spun around to Astrid, "Thank you, young lady. Your husband surely has earned his throne. All of you have been so helpful and sympathetic," tears once again fought their way out.

"You are very much welcome, ma'am," Astrid smiled her warm smile, and she was gone.

Before Magatha knew it, she was alone, and it was nighttime already. Dusk had arrived swiftly and descended upon her new home. She grabbed a pale and brought fresh water to drink and bathe with, and warmed firewood in the hearth. She bathed and got settled in quickly. It didn't take long for her to end up in her bed, exhausted. Magatha sat up straight once more and remembered an important piece to her plan, still covered by the only pocket left her clothes. She cried more as she held the vial of poison close to her. She wept for Hiccup. She wept for the people of Berk. She wept for her daughters, who were waiting for her to finish her task. All she wanted now was to bring her daughters to Berk and start a new life with these wonderful, peace-loving people. Magatha snapped back to reality, knowing well enough that that was a farce in its own right. The woman finally layed her tired head down, the vial tight within her grasp. She was finally starting to understand that the vial counted as so many lives. Her mind was set, and she drifted off to sleep.

Back in the Haddock house, Hiccup and Astrid readied themselves for bed.

"Sweetheart, you did the right thing. And I know what you're thinking, there's nothing you could've don't to save her children. Don't let that responsibility rest on your shoulders. Drago has taken enough from you," Astrid leaned into her husband and hugged him from behind as if she would never let go.

"Yeah... I keep telling myself that. I just... I don't know. I feel like there was something I could've done," Hiccup pondered as he looked to the floor for guidance. For something. Anything.

"What you did for that woman was from the heart. You're a good man."

"Milady," was all Hiccup could say before he turned around and kissed his wife deeply.

Toothless cooed and grumbled as he covered his eyes with his tail. For the first time in a long time, nothing stirred in the night besides the patrols, and Berk was silent.


	6. Chapter 5

**I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 5

Magatha started awake. It was the first deep sleep she had had in a long time. She wondered how she was going to thank the people of Berk and earn their trust.

For the next two weeks, Magatha worked in the stables, and even worked with Gobber as an assistant blacksmith and leatherworker, which she did quite well at. She had almost forgotten the reason she was there. She had cooked for people here and there, the one thing she knew she was good at. Magatha had finally convinced Hiccup to let her use Meade Hall for one night, even though he had no idea why.

Magatha finally revealed to Astrid what she was planning: a big thank you dinner to the chief and the people of Berk for giving her a new life and a new home.

"That will be awesome!" Astrid said with excitement. She loved food as much as the next Viking did. "Hiccup will love it."

"Good... that is good to hear! I plan on taking all night and tomorrow to cook. So please, try to keep it a secret," Magatha explained with a pang in her chest knowing her true intentions.

"Will do! This will be wonderful. It's been awhile since we've all had a dinner together as a village in Meade Hall. Thank you Magatha," said Astrid.

The now recovered woman was in good health. She toiled over the spit throughout the night, making sure to turn all of the pigs at the precise moment to ensure its deliciousness. Stews of all kinds cooked for hours in Meade Hall's kitchen, as well as haunches of cow, full chickens, and rows upon rows of smoked fish for Vikings and dragons alike. Magatha had a smile on her face, as this was one of things she truly enjoyed doing for others, but still, the pain was there.

Hiccup was talking to Fishlegs at his cottage on the other side of the village, seeing if there any new reports.

"Nothing new here, Hiccup. We've been keeping an extra keen eye out for Bludfist, but so far there has been no trace of him since Magatha showed up."

"I wonder why he would just up and dissappear, especially after losing one of his prisoners. You would think he would come after her," the air of worry was still with Hiccup. It was soon interrupted by Astrid who come bursting through the door with Stormfly close behind her.

"Hey, babe! There's a surprise for you in Meade Hall. Come on!" Astrid tried to hold back her excitement, but was failing miserably.

Hiccup gave a confused look at Fishlegs who just shrugged his shoulders. Toothless pushed Hiccup out of the door because he knew what it was. The dragon had been smelling the food all day and was excited himself.

With Fishlegs and Meatlug close behind, Toothless swept himself underneath his rider and best friend. Hiccup smiled and locked himself in for the short ride to Meade Hall.

The three of them arrived on the steps and hopped off of their dragons, who followed closely behind. They opened the sky-scraping doors and...

"SURPRISE!" Almost the entire village shouted, jam-packed into the seats of the dining area.

"What's this now?" Hiccup said, startled. Toothless also jumped back, wide-eyed.

"It's for you, my chieftain, from the village and Magatha. Just a thank you for everything you've done for us. A feast in your honor!" Astrid smiled as she pushed her husband across the room into his seat, which was at a long table. Now, there sat him, his wife, and his council: Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, Eret, and his mother Valka. Hiccup couldn't help but smile, too.

Once the cheering for the chief ebbed, Magatha revealed herself.

"Chieftain Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, it is my honor to serve you and your council. I will be forever in your debt for sparing my life, and letting me start anew here on your island of Berk. Long live the chief!" the pang in her chest was now as sharp as ever. She continued to think about her daughters, as that was all she could do to continue with what she was about to do.

"Long live the chief!" Meade Hall echoed with the loud cheers of the vikings.

Hiccup sat back in his seat with a sigh of relief and smiled down at his loyal followers. He grabbed the goblet nearest to him, "And to you, Magatha, thank you for this feast you are about to serve," he raised his glass to her, as did the entire dining area, and the rest was cheers.

The council watched as the village people lined up and filed through the food tables, grabbing as much food as they wanted, leaving some for the next Viking of course.

While no one noticed, Magatha slipped back into the kitchen and pulled the vial out of her apron pocket. Her palms started to sweat as she fumbled it in her hands. She gathered the plates for the council, as she was going to serve them herself. Two special plates were set aside, one red and one gold. The red plate for Hiccup, and the gold for Astrid. She popped the cork off of the vial and poured it on Hiccup's plate. It immediately evaporated, leaving a light film on the plate, and that's all it took. She stacked the council's plates, being careful to set Hiccup's on top.

She plated food for the chief and his wife first, then the council and their dragons. By the time the plates made it to the table, the poison that had settled on Hiccup's plate would've had time to fully absorb itself into the food that was placed on it.

Hiccup smiled as his plate was set in front of him. He looked at his beautiful wife and clinked goblets with her, spilling wine in the process. They both laughed and started into their dinners. Toothless looked at his rider and his mate in delight as he devoured his smoked trout.

Hiccup had skipped breakfast this morning, so he ate everything off of his plate.

After a successful and delicious evening, everyone hugged and parted ways. The party had ended late, as games were played and songs were sung for the chief of Berk. Astrid let Stormfly fly home on her own as she hopped on Toothless behind her husband and held him close, grateful for him. They both slept soundly that night, as did the rest of Berk. All except for two.


	7. Chapter 6

**I OWN NOTHING. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

Gothi woke with a gasp. She was cold, as none of her Terrible Terrors surrounded her as they normally do. The air felt heavy. The village elder walked outside onto her balcony and stared into the night air. Perched high above the entire village, she noticed Magatha's light was still on. Her eyes squinted as she pondered the reason.

After a long night of cleaning, Magatha was finally at her little hut, taking her heavy boots off. Two of her lights suddenly blew out. Frightened, she stood up to relight them. She did not expect to have any visitors.

"Why, hello there Magatha," Drago Bludfist had decided to pay her a visit, being that everyone was at Meade hall and his infiltration had gone unnoticed.

"By Odin's light!" Magatha screamed, but was quickly stifled by Drago's large hands.

"Shhhhhh... now, has the dragon master been fed?" Drago asked and looked deeply into her eyes.

She could only shake her head 'yes.' Drago let go of her mouth.

"Yes... yes I put the poison in his dinner tonight at Meade Hall." She cried as she slumped to the floor.

"Good. It is only a matter of time before the symptoms start to surface. It will only take three or so days to run its course. Once it is finished, I will allow you your daughters."

She could'nt even utter a reply as Drago covered himself in his dragon-skin cloak and disappeared into the dark of the night, going unnoticed even by the night patrol and Gothi herself.

Magatha curled into a ball on her floor. What had she done?

...

Hiccup awoke feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep. Astrid was not in bed, which was normally not the case. He threw a shirt on and looked outside and saw his wife helping out Gobber. The line for new saddles was always a long one. He smiled at the sight of her and decided to greet her and take a short morning flight. He quickly threw his leather armor on followed by his prosthetic leg and started down the stairs with Toothless following.

"Goodmorning, milady!" Hiccup called out to his wife.

"Mornin' cutie!" Gobber called back playfully. Astrid shoved Gobber aside and went to give her husband a hug and kiss before he flew off.

"Going for a morning flight?"

"I won't be gone long, I promise," Hiccup tried to assure her.

They smiled at each other and as soon as Hiccup latched his leg into the stirrup, Toothless had taken off.

"Woooooooooooooooooooooohoooo!" Hiccup yelled with exhilaration. There was nothing more exciting and refreshing to Hiccup than being on the back of his best friend.

Astrid shielded her eyes from the sun as she smiled and watched her husband and his Night Fury tame the skies.

Toothless looked back at his rider and grinned a toothless grin as he cooed. They both always bonded so well. They leveled out high above the village and hovered for a moment, taking in the beautiful sight.

"Just perfect, eh bud? Could'nt have asked for a better..." Hiccup stopped mid-sentence. He was dizzy. It was if a red shade had been pulled over his eyes, as it was getting hard for him to see and focus on the sights and sounds around him. He felt something wet on the side of his face and with a shaky hand, investigated.

"Blood... Toothless, we ...may have to cut.. our ride.." Hiccup tried to speak through labored breaths. Something deep within him felt wrong. Coughing and hacking, Hiccup sounded unnatural and gurgled. He coughed into his hand, more blood. The chief felt consciousness slipping away from him.

Toothless whined and growled at his rider to get him to stay awake but to no avail. Hiccup went limp and slid right off of Toothless' back. With his prosthetic leg still attached, he dangled off of his dragon, causing him to lose balance.

Someone down in the village screamed, "HICCUP! He's fallen off of Toothless!"

Astrid shot her gaze towards the sky and called for Stormfly, but she was too late.

Seconds later a loud snap was heard as Hiccup's prosthetic snapped in two. He plummeted towards the earth. Toothless re positioned himself and pointed himself towards his beloved rider and flew straight towards him. The Night Fury was able to catch up and wrap his wings around the chief just before they hit the ground with a crash.

"NO! Hiccup!" Astrid cried out to her husband and ran towards the heap of black in an opening in the middle of the village.

Toothless cried aloud as he opened his wings. He had broken one of his back legs in the landing, which was not planned for at all. With broken leg and all, he examined his rider. He sniffed and purred, nudging at his face trying to get him to wake up.

Astrid come running up and held her husband in her arms. There was blood coming from his ears and mouth. She listened for a heartbeat, and silently thanking the gods, there was one. Shallow and rapid, but it was better than nothing. By now, everyone who had saw what happened had made it to the distressed couple and did everything they could to help their chief and his wife. Snotlout and Fishlegs picked Hiccup's limp body up gently and took him to his house and layed him down on his bed. Gothi had saw what happened from her balcony where she normally was, she immediately descended and arrived at the Haddock residence without needing a summon.

"Gothi please, please help him." Astrid said with tears in her eyes as she held tightly onto her husband's bloodied hand.

All Gothi could do was nod.

She examined him for hours. Hiccup would open his eyes every once in a while, but was unresponsive nonetheless. He ran a high fever, which she tried to subdue with medicinal herbs and liquids but to no avail. Astrid helped Gothi remove most of his clothing to reveal something disturbing. Red and purple splotches riddled his chest, back, and stomach, which bled if touched to hard.

Gothi continued to pat his body down with medicine and forced liquid down the unconscious boys' throat to help with some of the symptoms. After an all day fight, his condition seemed to have stabilized. The elder had to go back to her home to gather more supplies, which left Astrid alone with her husband. She stroked his hair gently, and braided a small piece of it like she always had.

"What has happened to you..." Astried cried softly. Hiccup's breathing was labored, still. Astrid could hear fluid trying to escape his lungs as he exhaled. The young man's face, even while in a deep sleep, seemed pained.

Suddenly, Valka burst through the door. She had been gone all day scouting the region with her dragon Cloudjumper, looking for any signs of Bludfist.

"My son! No... Astrid, my dear, please... what happened to him?" Valka joined her daughter-in-law's side.

"We don't know.. Gothi and I have been doing what we can for him. He was fine when he woke up this morning. But, as soon as he went up with Toothless, everything seemed to go wrong. He was bleeding a lot... not from any wounds, but from his mouth. His ears. His eyes. Gothi has never seen such a thing in her life.

Valka stared in disbelief at her sick son. She observed the dried blood, the splotches on his body, the grimace that appeared on his face each time he took a breath. She thought hard, back to her days living with the alpha in its icy cave. She knows she has seen these symptoms before, just not all in one place, or on a human for that matter.

Valka noticed the boys' poor dragon curled in a corner next to his bed, who also looked like he was in pain. As Valka was deep in thought, she gathered things from around the bedroom to make a splint for his obviously broken leg. Astrid watched with awe in how well she worked with dragons of all species.

After Valka was finished with Toothless, who cooed graciously, she looked up at Astrid.

"Dear, have you heard of the dragon flower?" Valka asked her daughter.

"I have, but I've never seen any around here."

"They grow at specific altitudes not known to be around Berk. They're deadly to dragons, you see, but not humans. However, in higher doses, could possibly cause restriction of the air passages. Hiccup seems to be displayed sicknesses that only affect dragons. Deadly Nadder poison for the splotches. There is also another flower that grows on islands south of here, the cutter lily. Its very spores attach themselves where ever they please once they have entered your bloodstream. Any movement of a body part in which a spore has a attached itself can cause severe hemorrhaging. In the throat, underneath the eyelids, even on the ear drums can they attach themselves," Valka explained with a look of sadness never leaving her face.

Astrid didn't dare look at her husband again. "I don't understand, how could all of these things happen at once. He's never had a run in with a Nadder, and I know he hasn't been that far south!" Astrid was yelling now, angry. "There has to be a cure! We can't lose him!"

"I know dear, right now we just have to let it take it's course. Gothi is sure to conjure up a cure for our beloved Hiccup." She took ahold of Astrid and hugged her tightly. All Astrid could do was cry onto her mother-in-law.

Gothi had finally arrived back with more herbs for Hiccup. The Haddock women helped roll Hiccup to his side so his back could be treated. It looked to be immensely painful, but Hiccup didn't budge. Gothi had given him an herb earlier to put him in an almost coma state.

The night enveloped Berk. The council had been sitting downstairs in the Haddock living room, grieving for their chief, trying to think of how this could have happened. They all had hoped for good news, but it was evident that it was not coming tonight. They all payed their respects to their chief and filed out, one by one. Another visitor had been waiting for the crowd to dissipate before she made her appearance.

Magatha stepped out of the shadows and into the Haddock house. She crept quietly up the stairs and saw that the door was cracked. She wondered if she should invite herself in. She took a small step forward and what she saw through the crack in the door stopped her dead in her tracks.

The sight of the proud and strong chieftain of Berk, limp as a ragdoll, made her hand cover her mouth involuntarily. His skin discolored; unnatural. She saw the three women trying to clean the dried blood off of Hiccup's body. She stepped back quietly, not daring to enter, and ran quietly downstairs and towards the door. Once she was outside, she dropped to her knees and cried softly for Hiccup, and everyone else she had hurt.

What had she done?

**I apologized if the story seemed rushed or felt like it was missing something. I literally one-shotted up to Chapter 6. Still brainstorming on Ch. 7! Please let me know what you guys think. Sorry if I got your feels!**


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